Alabama

SEC Results-Based Ranking: Week 12

It's the twelfth week of our SEC results-based rankings, where it's who you beat and how. I think you all get the picture at this point in the season.

Before we get to the rankings, let's consider these magical possibilities: Alabama beats Auburn, Georgia beats Georgia Tech, Tennessee beats Kentucky, South Carolina beats Clemson, LSU beats Arkansas. That would leave the conference with a six-way tie for fifth place, as all of those teams would end up 7-5. I don't think it's going to happen, but I imagine the SEC's bowl folks are having trouble sleeping at night.

1. Alabama: Here at the near-end of the season, I think it's safe to say that Alabama has been the consistently best team in the country. Using this whole results-only thing, in fact, I'd say right now that Alabama-TCU is the most deserving title game (because Texas and Florida haven't beaten anybody, even if they're the other name-brand remaining unbeatens, and Florida's hasn't even looked particularly good doing it).

2. Florida: I like the matching road that Alabama and Florida have: just beat a scrub, game against a slightly down (Auburn) or very down (FSU) rival, and then the SEC Championship Game.

Really, everybody else should be tied for third through tenth.

3. Ole Miss: Get pummeled by Auburn and (especially) Alabama, lose a close one to South Carolina, beat Arkansas and Tennessee easy and LSU close. That's as good as anybody else in the conference outside of the top two.

4. LSU: On principle, they should drop to like 9, because of that end-of-game "coaching." Still, they've only got three losses, and they're to three good teams. LSU creamed Auburn, Auburn creamed Ole Miss, Ole Miss beats LSU in a wild finish. It makes little sense.

5. Arkansas: Losing to Ole Miss is much more understandable after the last two weeks. Arkansas handily beat Mississippi State last week, which is exactly what they were supposed to do.

6. Auburn: The loss to Kentucky was a black mark, but with the Wildcats beating Georgia, it looks like Kentucky is better than we thought.

7. Kentucky: I'd put Kentucky at sixth, since they've got conference wins over two bowl teams (including Auburn), but that loss to Mississippi State drops them.

8. Georgia: At 6-5, like the two teams below them, Georgia gets the nod entirely because of their strength of schedule.

9. Tennessee: The Volunteers have two good wins over bowl-bound teams (Georgia and South Carolina), but their other three wins are over total scrubs, they missed their chance against UCLA, and they weren't really in games that should have been competitive, Auburn and especially Ole Miss.

10. South Carolina: South Carolina has five losses, just like Tennessee, but they haven't looked competitive in most of them.

11. Mississippi State: If the Bulldogs had a quarterback, they would be a dangerous team. I've about decided Dixon is the best running back in the league.

12. Vandy: The top two and the bottom two were pretty easy to pick this week.